P L A N E T W A V E S

_____________ for Feb. 26, 1999 _____________

By ERIC FRANCIS

March Bonus Columns:

Humor: "Well on the Way to Y3K"

Science-Politics: "News From Space"

Achtung! This is the March monthly horoscope. Planet Waves is copyright ©1999, all rights reserved. Planet Waves is published Fridays weekly, and now available at both http://www.PlanetWaves.net/ and also over at http://www.Horoscopes4U.com/ Permission for non-commercial reproduction and forwarding of this work on the Internet is granted. For commercial reprint information, use the contact data below.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Here is a simple test for the status of your relationship: can you tell your partner exactly, precisely what you are thinking at the most passionate moment of surrender? If not, I would propose that there's a lot more you're not saying. The at-times-touchy-feely theme of this month is likely to be some version of approaching and backing off from commitments. You may have reason to hedge, a reason which can be just wanting to do your own thing, or harboring legitimate doubts, or awareness of a sudden and overwhelming sense that so much more is possible, and behold, it really is. But if you haven't noticed, one of my philosophies of life is having it both ways, and I'd propose that you don't need to give up anyone or anything that you really want in order to have someone or something else you really want. You just need to tell it like it is, and trust that people have good reasons for accepting you exactly as you are. But in reality, dear, they don't have a choice.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
In the twisted morals and dark psychology of our culture, it remains taboo to know, believe and understand that you are beautiful. Not powerful, not evocative, not influential, and no, not cunningly manipulative; those are all greatly rewarded personal attributes. Among my social conspiracy theories is that there is a well-documented campaigns by religion and big business to turn people into enemies of themselves. The daily struggle most people face to attain some level of self-acceptance and to let themselves off the hook for the past consumes vast amounts of energy, and is totally unnecessary. Give up this particular little war. It's a brilliant time to.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Have you ever had an opportunity to participate in a Native American sweat lodge ritual? It's basically an exercise in temperature play. First you sit in a tent full of very hot rocks and people, and bake for a while; then you go swimming in a stream or lake; then you bake some more; then you dunk again; and so on. A rather intricate dance now being sung by your cosmic godfather Mercury is all about such studies in atmosphere and contrast. Bright and dark, moist and dry, burning and flowing, in essence, water and fire, are making themselves known to you. For maximum revelation, investigate people, what they desire, and what they have to prove.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)
I do believe that at this point in history, the human race is headed for a collective threshold. I admit that this is a kind of personal religious belief; something with its basis only in faith, or, some would say, just watery-eyed hope. I admit that most people could not give a shit about human evolution. Regardless, I think I know something, and I think you know something too. My question is, if you were to live in full acknowledgement of what you know, but rarely admit to yourself and probably never dare say to other people, how would you live differently? And if the human race were indeed approaching some kind of critical mass point, if this time in history really mattered, if it were a once-in-the-universe moment, and if your involvement really made a vast difference, what would your contribution be? And what can you do starting right now to make that real?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
After watching our nation's two most famous Leos -- Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky -- go through their astonishing ordeal over the past 13 months, I wonder what parallel events unfurled within the lives of the somewhat lower-profile members of the pride of lions. What kind of test? What kind of karmic adventure, escapade, or endurance contest? What are the deeper messages? What does it all mean? Who knows? Who cares? It's over. That's the important thing. Now, karmic tests come, and karmic tests go, and this will indeed continue to be a very interesting and unexpected year. It is undeniable that you must expect the unexpected, or at least be prepared to meet every opportunity for change, and be very, very practiced at the art of optimism. But the bottom line is, you're going to have fun starting now if I have to stand on my head and dance the jig.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)
In the peak years of the 1960s, days which surely came with their blights and struggles, but nonetheless were a critical, creative and brilliant time in our culture's history, the astrological focus was potent activity in the sign Virgo. And probably only you would believe that; many people still think of Virgo as the sign of maids and grade school teachers. I am more inclined to think of Virgo as the sign of young men refusing to go to war, of Blacks and women and students demanding more, of our learning to be conscious of our responsibilities to the planet, the Earth, of which Virgo is the most closely related astrological concept. But then, I was born in 1964, and so Virgo is very strong in my chart and in my heart. But how about it: how about (you leading an) an uprising of raging ideals and intelligent solutions? How about (you) living a commitment to reality and justice? How about (you) swinging some bold tones from that old bell of freedom? How about right now, when people are ready to listen, and you are ready to let it rip?

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22)
Every now and then I get the idea that my paranoia will kill me before anything else does, and lately my No. 1 spiritual project has been learning to feel safe, protected, loved and fearless. This is not always easy, and I have to remember to wake up at the very times when I am the most asleep, and of course, in those moments, I have my doubts that I'm not courting danger just by feeling so safe and protected. If you're feeling a new sense of security entering your life, pay attention; it may not be the care-free confidence you expected, but it may be a very bold safety; a kind of aggressive serenity; an understanding that this is all a gamble anyway, and you've got to bet on yourself, or bet against yourself, and then let the game of life happen. Where are you going to lay down those chips?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)
In the annals of church and state history, sexual desire has been made out to be anything but what it is. Deemed evil, untrustworthy, a disease, sinful, the source of all pain, the source of madness and the divider of reality, a simple fact has been obscured. Sexual desire is an instinct, and an instinct that can lead to many different kinds of awareness. The theme of this month in the Scorpio dimension -- though it's also powerful for Aries, Capricorn and all other people (rather than signs) who are of the Marsy variety -- is faith in desire. Assume that your sexual level of consciousness is always telling you something about all of your reality. How people respond to you sexually tells you about them, and about your relationship with them, and about your role in the situation. In particular, all changes in circumstance and perception on this level are particularly noteworthy this month; the rest is trivia.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Though I tend to shy away from technical astrology in this column, the rather unique circumstances for Sagittarians deserve comment; in reality, it's pretty much Sagittarius that is the leading source of themes and developments for these strange and transitional days in history. Your sign is currently populated by three extraordinary influences, and there will be corresponding people or circumstances in your life. They are the deeply subconscious Pluto, lord of the underworld, and the planet of mass-consciousness; the intense and many-leveled Chiron, the planetary guide for healers and Shamans; and the mysterious Nessus, a very newly-discovered planet, which works much like a combination of the two others. As this month progresses, particularly after the first day of spring March 22, you may notice that you are in possession of some deeply attuned powers of consciousness, and of the ability to both heal and heal yourself no matter how old your woes may be. Please believe me when I say that no problem is unsolvable right now. Nothing is beyond your reach.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
A horoscope is hardly the place to embark on a lengthy discussion of the pleasure, wisdom and spiritual power involved with s/m play, but it's worth a short endorsement at this moment in your life. "Sado-masochism," as it's called, is, contrary to the myths, not about enjoying giving or receiving pain. It's about exploring power, including the power of pleasure, the pleasure of control and restriction, and investigating the very liberating spaces of surrender to another person -- all within agreed-upon limits. If your relationships take on some of the negative connotations of these ideas in their other-than-sexual aspects, or even if they don't, this would be an excellent time to get out the silk scarves, toss a coin to see who goes first, and work out your differences with one of you tied to a bed. Not in a relationship? Please don't let that stop you from playing with the experience of a long, agonizing, negotiated tease into total glorious release and gratification.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 19-Feb. 18)
As an astrologer, let me be the first to admit that the Cosmic Science alone is not enough; it is not a strong enough foundation of wisdom upon which to build the house of consciousness in the current world. Astrology -- practiced as a discipline -- is a great teacher, and a magnificent mirror within which to view our progress through the cosmos. But as you grow and learn, I recommend you work at all times with three major taps into the sea of wisdom: one that is very old, one that is very new, and one that you just really like. The lyrics of your favorite band, the words of your favorite poet (get one of those), the visual comments of your favorite artist (get one of those too), a friend over 50, a friend under 20, the Tao Te Ching, the Tarot, the pattern of the rocks in the driveway -- they all count as distinct possibilities. The field of new awareness is wide open to you now, and just in time -- your old ideas have never disintegrated faster. What your parents believe has never mattered less.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)
The big news for Pisces, as you've probably heard, is that Jupiter, your guiding planet, has begun its journey across Aries, the first sign of the horoscope, and hence a whole new 12-year cycle. Translation: This is the springtime of your life, and just in time for spring, and just in time for your birthday, and just in time for the wildest overall year sincewell, I won't say. However, rather than focussing no what you want, at first I suggest you focus on what you've got, because if you do, you're quite likely to be jolted into a state of clear-headed optimism that will work quite well for you. In this inventory, I recommend you take stock of what you've come to possess, what you've achieved, who is with you now, and more than anything, what you value. While at times it may seem like a contradiction that it takes wealth to build wealth, don't sweat it -- you've got what it takes, if only you'll look.

THE THIRTEENTH SIGN (For the Faithful)
As an astrologer, it's basically my job to keep an eye on the planets, the comets and the rest of reality, and then tell you what's happening, and to provide some reasonable advice based on the circumstances around and within us. I have said in many ways and many places that this is a very significant year, and I am aware that many people are feeling this, and that things may get rather intense quite suddenly before we know it. So I will lay it on the line right now. Live like it matters.
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